What’s your Drug IQ?

Posted on November 11, 2015 by admin

How Science Has Revolutionized the Understanding of Drug Addiction

For much of the past century, scientists studying drug abuse labored in the shadows of powerful myths and misconceptions about the nature of addiction. When scientists began to study addictive behavior in the 1930s, people addicted to drugs were thought to be morally flawed and lacking in willpower. Those views shaped society’s responses to drug abuse, treating it as a moral failing rather than a health problem, which led to an emphasis on punishment rather than prevention and treatment. Today, thanks to science, our views and our responses to addiction and other substance use disorders have changed dramatically. Groundbreaking discoveries about the brain have revolutionized our understanding of compulsive drug use, enabling us to respond effectively to the problem.

As a result of scientific research, we know that addiction is a disease that affects both the brain and behavior. We have identified many of the biological and environmental factors and are beginning to search for the genetic variations that contribute to the development and progression of the disease. Scientists use this knowledge to develop effective prevention and treatment approaches that reduce the toll drug abuse takes on individuals, families, and communities.

Drug User Brain Activity image

Despite these advances, many people today do not understand why people become addicted to drugs or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug use. This booklet aims to fill that knowledge gap by providing scientific information about the disease of drug addiction, including the many harmful consequences of drug abuse and the basic approaches that have been developed to prevent and treat substance use disorders. At the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), we believe that increased understanding of the basics of addiction will empower people to make informed choices in their own lives, adopt science-based policies and programs that reduce drug abuse and addiction in their communities, and support scientific research that improves the Nation’s well-being.

Nora D. Volkow, M.D.
Director
National Institute on Drug Abuse

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Did you know? Marijuana Facts

Posted on November 11, 2015 by admin

Have you read Reefer Sanity Seven Great Myths about Marijuana by Kevin Sabet PhD.? Did you know? Less than 5% of people in medical marijuana programs around the country have cancer, HIV or glaucoma.

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Happy Veteran’s Day! Here’s another service from a veteran: Tips From Former Smokers

Posted on November 11, 2015 by admin

Michael’s Biography

Michael started smoking when he was 9 years old and his younger sister offered him a cigarette. Years later, Michael, a U.S. Army veteran, an Alaska Native, and member of the Tlingit tribe, would develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD—a condition caused by smoking that makes it harder and harder to breathe and can cause death. It wasn’t until he nearly suffocated that he decided to quit smoking for good.

“Smoking was something I did to fit in,” he says, remembering why he started smoking. “At first it was unpleasant, but the more I smoked, the more I became addicted to cigarettes.” In the early days, he would hide the fact that he smoked and even smoked other people’s cigarette butts. Even though Michael lost his father, sister, and many other people in his community to smoking-related diseases, he continued to smoke.

Michael served in the U.S. Army from 1977–1979. He smoked throughout that period. Even though he made attempts to quit, he always came up with an excuse to start smoking again. At age 44, Michael was diagnosed with COPD. “I would wake up with ‘smoker’s cough.’ That was a warning sign that I ignored,” he says.

The day Michael made the decision to quit smoking for good was a day he won’t forget. He was 52 years old and woke up struggling to breathe. “It was 4 hours of stark raving terror. I was suffocating to death. Every cell in my body was screaming for oxygen!” He remembers riding in the ambulance, wondering if he was going to die. He never smoked another cigarette. “Losing your breath is losing your life force.”

Today, Michael continues to fight for his life. To help improve his breathing, he had lung volume reduction surgery. Diseased parts of his lungs were removed so healthier lung tissue could work better. After he quit smoking, his condition improved slightly, but his doctor says Michael needs a lung transplant. In his weakened state, Michael doesn’t know if he would survive the surgery.

Michael enjoys the company of his daughter and two grandchildren but struggles with the thought of having to say good-bye. “I can’t bear the thought of not watching them grow up,” he says. “I don’t know how to tell them.” He wishes he had more energy to play with them. “I used to play volleyball and hike in the mountains, but I don’t do that anymore,” he says. “I avoid anything that involves running and carrying things. I stay away from smoke and exhaust. Now, it’s all about friends, good memories, and living a little bit longer.”

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Animal Study Suggests Marijuana May Affect Future Offspring’s Susceptibility to Heroin

Posted on November 3, 2015 by admin

February 03, 2015

By Sarah Webb, Ph.D., NIDA Notes Contributing Writer

Can marijuana use put offspring at heightened risk for opiate addiction, even if the use stops before the offspring are conceived? Recent animal research by NIDA-supported scientists suggests that the answer may be yes.

Dr. Yasmin L. Hurd and colleagues at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City showed that rats whose parents had been exposed as adolescents to the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana sought heroin more vigorously than the offspring of unexposed animals. Although more research is needed to confirm and explain the findings, they are consistent with other studies suggesting that a parent’s history of drug use, even preconception, may affect a child’s brain function and behavior.

Lasting Imprint

Scientists have known for a while that drugs of abuse produce some of their effects epigenetically—that is, by increasing or decreasing the rates at which the body’s genetic machinery produces certain proteins. Researchers recently reported that some epigenetic changes produced by cocaine appear to be inherited and affect the behavior of subsequent generations. In that experiment, rats whose parents had been exposed to cocaine responded differently when introduced to the drug than did rats whose parents had not been exposed.

Dr. Hurd and colleagues hypothesized that rats whose parents were exposed as adolescents to the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC) would inherit epigenetic changes that would alter their responses to heroin. To test the hypothesis, the researchers injected adolescent male and female rats with THC for 3 weeks on an intermittent schedule (1.5 milligram per kilogram of body weight every 3 days) that corresponds to the amounts consumed by a typical recreational marijuana user. They waited 2 to 4 weeks for the drug to wash out of the rats’ bodies, then paired and mated them.

Figure 1. Offspring of THC-Exposed Parents Work Harder To Get Heroin  When only a single press of a lever was required to obtain a dose of heroin, the offspring of THC-exposed and unexposed rats self-administered similar amounts of the drug. However, when the researchers raised the work requirement to 5 lever presses for a single dose, the rats whose parents had been exposed to THC pressed almost 3 times as often as the offspring of unexposed rats.
Text Description of Graphic

When the offspring of these matings reached adulthood, the researchers presented them with a lever that, when pressed, delivered heroin (30 micrograms per kilogram of body weight). At first, the animals self-administered the drug at roughly the same rates as a group of control animals whose parents had not been exposed to THC. However, when the researchers made the animals work harder for the drug—requiring them to press the active lever at least 5 times to receive a dose—those whose parents had been exposed to the drug pressed on average nearly 3 times as often as the control rats (see Figure 1).

When the researchers removed the animals’ access to heroin, the THC-exposed rats’ offspring exhibited more pronounced withdrawal symptoms, such as increased locomotion and repetitive behaviors. Also during withdrawal, the two groups of rats differed in their readiness to approach a novel stimulus in their environment.

Figure 2. Offspring of THC-Exposed Rats Show Long-Term Depression of Synaptic Activity in the Striatum Medium spiny neurons in the dorsal striatum of rats whose parents had been exposed to THC responded less to electrophysiological stimulation than the neurons in rats whose parents had not been exposed to THC.
Text Description of Graphic

Using electrophysiology, the researchers also demonstrated that the offspring of the THC-exposed rats had altered neuronal functioning (see Figure 2). The specific alteration that they observed—enhanced long-term synaptic depression of medium spiny neurons in the dorsal striatum—has been associated with addiction in previous studies. The neurons are less responsive to stimulation, which inhibits an individual’s ability to adjust to experience and results in habitual and compulsive behaviors rather than adaptive ones.

To identify the epigenetic factors that might underlie the differences they had observed in the offspring of the THC-exposed animals, the researchers assayed concentrations of messenger RNA (mRNA) for key proteins in the brain. The formation of mRNA is the first step in the process of protein production, and mRNA levels indicate how much protein is being produced at a given time. The researchers’ analysis showed that, during adolescence, the THC-exposed animals’ offspring had higher levels of mRNA for glutamate receptors and for the cannabinoid 1 receptor in the ventral striatum. During adulthood, the offspring of the THC-exposed rats had less mRNA for N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptors in the dorsal striatum (see Figure 3). Reduced production of glutamate receptors could underlie the reduced responsiveness to stimulation researchers observed in that brain region.

Figure 3. Offspring of THC-Exposed Parents Show Decreased Expression of Genes for Key Receptor Genes in the Brain Expression of genes for the glutamate-responsive receptors NMDA (Grin1 and Grin2A) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) (Gria1) and for the endocannabinoid receptor CB1 (CNR1) was lower in the dorsal striatum of adult rats whose parents had been exposed to THC. These changes in gene expression suggest an epigenetic effect of THC on glutamate and endocannabinoid signaling in the brain.
Text Description of Graphic

Is It Real?

The Mount Sinai researchers took pains to rule out potential nonepigenetic explanations for the differences they observed between their groups of rats. One concern was that the THC-exposed rats’ pups might themselves be exposed to the drug during gestation, resulting in altered brain development. To preclude this possibility, the researchers postponed mating their THC-exposed animals until sensitive gas chromatography and mass spectrometry confirmed that no drug remained in the animals’ blood or brain tissue. Another concern was that the THC-exposed animals might parent differently than the unexposed animals, potentially altering their offspring’s responses to heroin. To prevent this, the researchers removed the THC-exposed animals’ pups from their parents immediately after birth and had unexposed dams raise both groups of offspring in mixed litters.

Despite these careful controls, Dr. Hurd and colleagues say that they cannot completely rule out nonepigenetic explanations for the alterations they observed in their THC-exposed rats’ offspring until they see what happens in the next two generations of their germ line. The researchers are proceeding with this work.

“The idea of cross-generational transmission of complex traits such as drug responses without alterations to the genome is contentious,” says Dr. John Satterlee, Project Officer at NIDA’s Genetics and Molecular Neurobiology Research Branch. “Is it real? And if it’s real, how is it transmitted?” he asks.

Dr. Satterlee agrees with Dr. Hurd that studies on future generations are needed to definitively rule out the possibility that nonepigenetic factors led to the observed effects in the offspring. Previous exposure to THC theoretically could affect the womb or placental formation, he says, or lead to changes in the parents’ microbiome—the assemblage of microorganisms in the gut controlling a variety of conditions and behaviors—that were then transmitted to their offspring.

“If the effect is real, it’s important,” Dr. Satterlee says. “If studies show that marijuana use also shows cross-generational effects in people, those results would add to the known dangers of the drug and amplify the importance of prevention efforts, especially those aimed at youth,” he adds.

This study was supported by NIH grants DA030359 and DA033660.

Source

Szutorisz, H.; DiNieri, J.A.; Sweet, E. et al. Parental THC exposure leads to compulsive heroin-seeking and altered striatal synaptic plasticity in the subsequent generation. Neuropsychopharmacology. 39(6):1315-1323, 2014. Abstract

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Drug Facts: Marijuana

Posted on November 3, 2015 by admin

What is marijuana?

Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. The plant contains the mind-altering chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other related compounds. Extracts with high amounts of THC can also be made from the cannabis plant (see “Marijuana Extracts“).

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States (SAMHSA, 2014). Its use is widespread among young people. According to a yearly survey of middle and high school students, rates of marijuana use have steadied in the past few years after several years of increase. However, the number of young people who believe marijuana use is risky is decreasing (Johnston, 2014).

Legalization of marijuana for medical use or adult recreational use in a growing number of states may affect these views. Read more about marijuana as medicine in DrugFacts: Is Marijuana Medicine? at www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana-medicine.

Photo of dried marijuana and joints.

How do people use marijuana?

People smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes (joints) or in pipes or water pipes (bongs). They also smoke it in blunts—emptied cigars that have been partly or completely refilled with marijuana. To avoid inhaling smoke, more people are using vaporizers. These devices pull the active ingredients (including THC) from the marijuana and collect their vapor in a storage unit. A person then inhales the vapor, not the smoke.

Users can mix marijuana in food (edibles), such as brownies, cookies, or candy, or brew it as a tea. A newly popular method of use is smoking or eating different forms of THC-rich resins (see “Marijuana Extracts“).

Marijuana Extracts

Smoking THC-rich resins extracted from the marijuana plant is on the rise. Users call this practice dabbing. People are using various forms of these extracts, such as:

  • hash oil or honey oil—a gooey liquid
  • wax or budder—a soft solid with a texture like lip balm
  • shatter—a hard, amber-colored solid

These extracts can deliver extremely large amounts of THC to users, and their use has sent some people to the emergency room. Another danger is in preparing these extracts, which usually involves butane (lighter fluid). A number of people who have used butane to make extracts at home have caused fires and explosions and have been seriously burned.

How does marijuana affect the brain?

Marijuana has both short- and long-term effects on the brain.

Image of a cross section of the brain with marked areas that are affected by THC.THC acts on numerous areas (in yellow) in the brain.

Short-term effects

When a person smokes marijuana, THC quickly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream. The blood carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body. The body absorbs THC more slowly when the person eats or drinks it. In that case, the user generally feels the effects after 30 minutes to 1 hour.

THC acts on specific brain cell receptors that ordinarily react to natural THC-like chemicals in the brain. These natural chemicals play a role in normal brain development and function.

Marijuana overactivates parts of the brain that contain the highest number of these receptors. This causes the “high” that users feel. Other effects include:

  • altered senses (for example, seeing brighter colors)
  • altered sense of time
  • changes in mood
  • impaired body movement
  • difficulty with thinking and problem-solving
  • impaired memory
Silhouette of a seated young male, hunched over with his head resting in his hand.

Long-term effects

Marijuana also affects brain development. When marijuana users begin using as teenagers, the drug may reduce thinking, memory, and learning functions and affect how the brain builds connections between the areas necessary for these functions.

Marijuana’s effects on these abilities may last a long time or even be permanent.

For example, a study showed that people who started smoking marijuana heavily in their teens and had an ongoing cannabis use disorder lost an average of eight IQ points between ages 13 and 38. The lost mental abilities did not fully return in those who quit marijuana as adults. Those who started smoking marijuana as adults did not show notable IQ declines (Meier, 2012).

A Rise in Marijuana’s THC Levels

The amount of THC in marijuana has been increasing steadily over the past few decades (Mehmedic, 2010). For a new user, this may mean exposure to higher THC levels with a greater chance of a harmful reaction. Higher THC levels may explain the rise in emergency room visits involving marijuana use.

The popularity of edibles also increases the chance of users having harmful reactions. Edibles take longer to digest and produce a high. Therefore, people may consume more to feel the effects faster, leading to dangerous results.

Dabbing is yet another growing trend. More people are using marijuana extracts that provide stronger doses, and therefore stronger effects, of THC (see “Marijuana Extracts“).

Higher THC levels may mean a greater risk for addiction if users are regularly exposing themselves to high doses.

What are the other health effects of marijuana?

Marijuana use may have a wide range of effects, both physical and mental.

Physical effects

  • Breathing problems.Marijuana smoke irritates the lungs, and frequent marijuana smokers can have the same breathing problems that tobacco smokers have. These problems include daily cough and phlegm, more frequent lung illness, and a higher risk of lung infections. Researchers still do not know whether marijuana smokers have a higher risk for lung cancer.
  • Increased heart rate.Marijuana raises heart rate for up to 3 hours after smoking. This effect may increase the chance of heart attack. Older people and those with heart problems may be at higher risk
  • Problems with child development during and after pregnancy.Marijuana use during pregnancy is linked to increased risk of both brain and behavioral problems in babies. If a pregnant woman uses marijuana, the drug may affect certain developing parts of the fetus’s brain. Resulting challenges for the child may include problems with attention, memory, and problem-solving. Additionally, some research suggests that moderate amounts of THC are excreted into the breast milk of nursing mothers. The effects on a baby’s developing brain are still unknown.

Mental effects

Long-term marijuana use has been linked to mental illness in some users, such as:

  • temporary hallucinations—sensations and images that seem real though they are not
  • temporary paranoia—extreme and unreasonable distrust of others
  • worsening symptoms in patients with schizophrenia (a severe mental disorder with symptoms such as hallucinations, paranoia, and disorganized thinking)

Marijuana use has also been linked to other mental health problems, such as:

  • depression
  • anxiety
  • suicidal thoughts among teens

Is marijuana addictive?

Contrary to common belief, marijuana can be addictive. Research suggests that about 1 in 11 users becomes addicted to marijuana (Anthony, 1994; Lopez-Quintero 2011).This number increases among those who start as teens (to about 17 percent, or 1 in 6) (Anthony, 2006) and among people who use marijuana daily (to 25-50 percent) (Hall & Pacula, 2003).

How Does Marijuana Affect a User’s Life?

Compared to nonusers, heavy marijuana users more often report the following:

  • lower life satisfaction
  • poorer mental health
  • poorer physical health
  • more relationship problems

Users also report less academic and career success. For example, marijuana use is linked to a higher likelihood of dropping out of school (McCaffrey, 2010). It is also linked to more job absences, accidents, and injuries (Zwerling, 1990).

How can people get treatment for marijuana addiction?

Long-term marijuana users trying to quit report withdrawal symptoms that make quitting difficult. These include:

  • grouchiness
  • sleeplessness
  • decreased appetite
  • anxiety
  • cravings

Behavioral support has been effective in treating marijuana addiction. Examples include therapy and motivational incentives (providing rewards to patients who remain substance free). No medications are currently available to treat marijuana addiction. However, continuing research may lead to new medications that help ease withdrawal symptoms, block the effects of marijuana, and prevent relapse.

Points to Remember

  • Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa.
  • The plant contains the mind-altering chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other related compounds.
  • People use marijuana by smoking, eating, drinking, and inhaling it.
  • Smoking THC-rich extracts from the marijuana plant (a practice called dabbing) is on the rise.
  • THC overactivates certain brain cell receptors, resulting in effects such as:
    • altered senses
    • changes in mood
    • impaired body movement
    • difficulty with thinking and problem-solving
    • impaired memory and learning
  • Marijuana use may have a wide range of effects, both physical and mental, which include:
    • breathing illnesses
    • possible harm to a fetus’s brain in pregnant users
    • hallucinations and paranoia
  • The amount of THC in marijuana has been increasing steadily, creating more harmful effects for users.
  • Marijuana can be addictive.
  • Treatment for marijuana addiction includes forms of behavioral therapy. No medications currently exist for treatment.

Learn More

For more information on marijuana and marijuana use, visit:

For more information on marijuana as medicine and on state laws related to marijuana, visit:

Monitoring the Future

Learn more about the Monitoring the Future survey, which annually measures drug, alcohol, and tobacco use and related attitudes among teenage students nationwide:
www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/monitoring-future

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Cop Busts Drunk Driving Halloween Partiers…

Posted on October 30, 2015 by admin

It’s no treat to drive under the influence… Have fun, but don’t drive buzzed or under the influence of any kind. Watch out for those little ghouls and goblins running around the neighborhoods, in search of candy! Happy Halloween!

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Study Finds Youth Smokers Begin their Habit Because of Sweet Flavoring

Posted on October 30, 2015 by admin

CADCA

 

 

Analysis by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that most teens who use tobacco start with flavored products.

“Consistent with national school-based estimates, this study confirms widespread appeal of flavored products among youth tobacco users,” the authors, led by Bridget K. Ambrose of the Center for Tobacco Products at the FDA, wrote in their study’s abstract.

Many youth said flavoring such as bubble gum, mint and chocolate was a reason to use e-cigarettes, hookahs, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and snus pouches, the researchers reported.

The study, “Flavored Tobacco Product Use Among US Youth Aged 12-17 Years, 2013-2014,” appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association this week.

Most tobacco use begins during youth and young adulthood, and although cigarette use has been declining, other products like e-cigarettes and hookah are becoming more common, they wrote.

The researchers used data from a nationally representative study of nearly 46,000 U.S. adults and youth ages 12 to 17 who answered questions about use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, hookahs, cigars, pipe tobacco, smokeless tobacco, dissolvable tobacco and other products.

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Special Edition: E-cigarettes by Foundation for Healthy Generations

Posted on October 30, 2015 by admin

Health Policy News

 

The e-cigarette epidemic has grown exponentially over the past few years and continues to present challenges to communities and public health officials. Calls to the Washington Poison Center have nearly doubled every single year since 2010 when the first e-cigarette poisonings were reported in this state.

 

E-cigarettes are not subject to federal regulations, nor are the liquids used in them. The FDA is currently considering rules to regulate the fledgling industry, while the industry innovates product at an astonishing speed, while research has shown the liquids contain a wide variance in nicotine content. Consumers who wish to use the devices for cessation may actually be using higher levels of nicotine then if they were smoking combustible cigarettes.

 

In the last 2 years, the Washington State Legislature has considered various policy options to deal with e-cigarettes without the passage of final legislation. The policy options on the table have included: taxation, retailer licensing, child-safe packaging, restricting the age of sale to those age 18+, requiring disclosure of nicotine content and toxic or carcinogenic chemicals in the liquids, prohibiting internet sales, etc. Meanwhile, local health departments are considering policy regulations through board of health ordinances, or are leading community conversations about the devices. However, the infancy of the health impact research complicates policy discussions.

 

Background

E-cigarettes, or vape pens, are increasingly popular products that deliver nicotine and other harmful ingredients to users and bystanders, yet no federal regulation of these products currently exist. The American Public Health Association has recommendedthat states and municipalities enact laws prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes in enclosed public areas and places of employment due to their potential as a source of pollutants. Recent research has suggested that contrary to some opinions, e-cigarettes may not be effective tobacco cessation aids and may even inhibit the ability to quit. In 2014 and 2015, 33 Attorneys General submitted letters urging the FDA to require warning labels and childproof packaging, as well as restricting advertising, prohibiting flavoring, and other restrictions. Although the FDA is considering warning label and childproof packaging regulations, there is still no way to verify ingredients or safety claims made by manufacturers.

 

Impacts on Children & Youth

The 2014 Healthy Youth Survey found that one in five high school seniors in Washington reported e-cigarette use, almost triple the amount reported in 2012. This dramatic increase indicates the growing social acceptance of e-cigarettes among teens, which threatens to undermine decades of anti-tobacco education and advocacy. This is worrisome for many reasons, including because nicotine is particularly harmful to brain development in children and adolescent smokers are more likely to continue into adulthood. There is also early evidence that teens who vape are more likely to take up traditional combustible cigarettes. Manufacturers of e-cigarettes are not subject to the same advertising rules as the tobacco industry and therefore can market their products using celebrity endorsements or cartoon characters that appeal to children. Vaping products are also available in candy-like flavors that are attractive to younger users.

 

E-liquid, the nicotine-containing component, presents a poisoning threat to children via ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact. Exposure to even tiny amounts of e-liquid can cause vomiting, seizures, and death. A CDC study found that the number of calls to poison centers related to e-cigarettes had increased from one per month in September 2010 to 215 per month in February 2014. More than half of these calls concerned children under the age of 5. In 2015, the Washington Poison Center has reported 58 e-cigarette poisoning exposures, including 40 pediatric cases. Eighty-five percent of these exposures concerned children between the ages of 1 and 3.

 

The use of e-cigarettes to consume marijuana and synthetic drugs is also a growing public health concern. A recent study of high school students in Connecticut found high rates of vaporizing marijuana. Because vaping can be almost completely odorless, users are able to smoke marijuana in public places without detection. Marijuana use on school property is of particular concern for this reason. E-cigarettes can also be used to vaporize highly dangerous drugs such as synthetic marijuana.

 

Regulatory Context

Only e-cigarettes that are marketed for therapeutic purposes are currently regulated by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has issued a proposed rule to extend the agency’s tobacco regulating authority to cover additional products including electronic cigarettes and others. This would bring e-cigarettes and like vaping devices under the same requirements of currently regulated tobacco products, including reporting product and ingredient listings; requiring health warnings; only making direct and implied claims of reduced risk if the FDA confirms scientific evidence in support of the claim; ban the distribution of free samples; and establish minimum age and identification restrictions. Still this would not halt online sales, ban vaping in public areas, or ban marketing of flavors appealing to youth and children. And until FDA rulemaking, which takes time based on the findings of longitudinal studies, States and Municipalities are left to come up with their own regulations.

 

E-cigarettes pose unique regulatory challenges to state and local authorities. In Washington, it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes or other vaping products to minors under the age of 18. However, because vaping products can be purchased online sales are difficult to monitor. Grant County, King County, Pierce County, Clark County, and the city of Pasco currently have ordinances in effect prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes in all areas where smoking is prohibited. Clark, King, and Pierce Counties also prohibit free sampling of vaping products. Grant County prohibits possession of any vaping product or device by anyone under the age of 18. King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties are currently considering new or revised e-cigarette ordinances.

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics just yesterday issued this statement: “The AAP now strongly recommends the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, should be increased to age 21 nationwide.”

 

“Tobacco use continues to be a major health threat to children, adolescents and adults,” said Karen M. Wilson, MD, MPH, FAAP, chair of the AAP Section on Tobacco Control and section head of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at Children’s Hospital Colorado. “The developing brains of children and teens are particularly vulnerable to nicotine, which is why the growing popularity of e-cigarettes among adolescents is so alarming and dangerous to their long-term health.”

 

It seems to me, we may not know everything there is to know about e-cigarettes, but we know enough to adopt policies to protect children and adolescents.

 

Warmly,

 

Julie

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Be Your Best Self! Choose Health!

Posted on October 26, 2015 by admin

Ask your child at FHMS/FHHS what our new Prevention Intervention Specialist, Joyce, is doing with the youth to support these healthy messages! Be Your Best Self! Red Ribbon Week gives students an opportunity to talk openly about drug use/abuse and see there is support for them to be drug-free… The majority of youth choose not to use. Let’s help support those wanting to drug-free, too. Resources are available. Promoting a drug-free culture goes a long way in prevention of underage substance use. Choose Health!

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Meeting Board of Trustees Oct. 16th at FH Presbyterian Church

Posted on October 14, 2015 by admin

We have the opportunity to meet and dialogue with the new Prevention Intervention Specialist, Joyce Wells!  Please join us in welcoming her to the SJISD team!

Friday, October 16, 11:30 – 2:00, Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church    RSVP 378-9683

Here is a look at what our Prevention Intervention Specialist does in our schools…Prevention Intervention Specialist Position

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